Wal-Mart set to deal with area neighbors

Councilwoman Chan to announce compromise.

By Josh Baugh :
April 23, 2012
: Updated: April 24, 2012 2:13am

Wal-Mart plans to build a 180,000-square-foot Supercenter that would be open seven days a week, 24 hours a day on this site. The property is between Vista View Street on the left and Wurzbach Parkway on the right.

City Councilman Diego Bernal and Mayor Julián Castro listen to a speaker during discussion of the rezoning proposal for the property where Wal-Mart hopes to build a supercenter.

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, right, who is also the President of Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, stops to talk with Mitsuko Ramos about the proposed Walmart that would back up to the nature park. Ramos uses the park every day for exercising. Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Bob Owen/Express-News

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who is also the President of Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, inspects trees that have been tagged on the property next to Hardberger Park, that is a proposed site for a new Walmart. Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Bob Owen/Express-News

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who is also the President of Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, inspects trees that have been tagged on the property next to Hardberger Park, that is a proposed site for a new Walmart. Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Bob Owen/Express-News

More Information

What: District 9 meeting to discuss proposed Wal-Mart next to Hardberger Park

When: Today, 7 to 9 p.m.

Where: The Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community Center, 12500 N.W. Military Highway

Councilwoman Elisa Chan plans to announce details at a town hall meeting today about her negotiations with Wal-Mart to develop the southwest corner of Wurzbach Parkway and Blanco Road — next to the city's Phil Hardberger Park.

Chan declined to discuss specifics because she wants to tell her constituents directly what she's negotiated. But she offered some information about what should be expected.

In February, residents and park supporters won a battle in their attempt to block a big-box development from being built on the site. The City Council approved moving forward with a rezoning of the property to a more restrictive category that would block the construction of a retail space the size of a Wal-Mart.

But Chan used the threat of “down-zoning” to bring Wal-Mart officials back to the negotiating table, which she says they left too early.

“I think I made it very clear in many interviews that I wanted to bring people back to the table to talk about it, to work out a plan,” she said. “I believe Wal-Mart walked away too soon.”

And now it appears that she's struck a tentative deal.

During her presentation, Chan said she'll address the size of the proposed Wal-Mart, its hours of operation, traffic and drainage issues. And she'll display a proposed site plan.

She'll also lay out the actual concessions Wal-Mart has agreed to make.

It appears that Wal-Mart officials have backed off a plan to build a 180,000-square-foot Supercenter that would operate 24 hours a day. But how much smaller the newly proposed development will be, and what hours it will be open, are details that Chan will unveil tonight.

Chan said that during her meeting, she'll summarize “the benefits” of the new plan, which will include “a good amount of green space” zoned as resource protection.

The new plan apparently will require rezoning a large portion of the property, which abuts Hardberger Park and the North Castle Hills neighborhood and is currently zoned for apartments.

That rezoning will allow the Wal-Mart to be built closer to the neighborhood and the park, in turn allowing for commercial pad sites along Blanco Road and Wurzbach Parkway.

Chan said she will outline proposed deed restrictions for those pad sites during the meeting.

Wayne Fagan, a resident of North Castle Hills and an attorney representing the neighborhood, said he and Chuck Saxer, president of Northside Neighborhoods for Organized Development, a group that represents about 10,000 households on the North Side, met with Chan last week to discuss the Wal-Mart issue. At that time, Fagan said, Chan was still negotiating.

But the opposition to a big-box development remains.

“We oppose a big-box development, and we want something that embraces sustainable and appropriate development of the 42-acre tract,” Fagan said. “And the rest are details.”

Fagan and his neighborhood, along with other area residents and organizations, have formed San Antonians United for the Protection of Hardberger Park — a group conceived to “provide a voice to the thousands of individuals and small businesses that share the concerns, vision and goals of SAU4HP and to work with all other stakeholders, including elected officials, the current owner of the property and the proposed developer in an effort to find common ground,” according to a news release from the group.

Fagan said the organization would regroup after the town hall meeting to weigh the proposal.

Chan said she's hopeful that she has negotiated a deal that's amenable to the neighborhoods.

“I have concessions in every single item they we're talking about,” she said. “So, I'm hopeful they will be happy.”